Glove Masters

April 23, 2014

Watching great fielding is just as good as a home run, in my humble opinion. Fielding in baseball always takes a backseat to the offensive statistics in the glamour category. In Major League Baseball, the importance of pitching and defense is beginning to outweigh the teams who bash the ball. As they say, good pitching stops good hitting, and good pitching needs good defense. Keeping runners from taking an extra base, turning double plays, and throwing out those who attempt to steal are cornerstones for winning, again, not glamorous, just efficient.

The statisticians in the world came up with many formulas to determine who is the best of the best at their position. The simple statistic of fielding percentage measures errors against opportunities, but that still doesn't tell the story. The eyeball test still works well, and the greatest I have ever seen in my lifetime was Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Smith. I was lucky enough to see Vizquel later when he became a San Francisco Giant, and I am still amazed. He had a certain calm to his play, and he made the position look easier than it is.

Here are some of my favorite defensive players this year in MLB:

Having a good shortstop is crucial to winning. A shortstop that is agile, quick with great range, and a Howitzer for an arm is rare. One player with these skills is Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves. He has only been in the pros a couple of years but is fast becoming the top at his position. He was awarded a gold glove and voted as the best defensive player at shortstop in the National League in 2013.

At catcher, you will not find still anybody better than Yadier Molina. At 32 years of age, he still has the physical tools to be one of the top catchers in baseball. The way he calls a game and handles a staff is not as much, but note, St. Louis has consistently been a good pitching team year after year. In addition, a lot of baseball fans and experts acknowledge catcher Matt Wieters of Baltimore.

The hot corner has its share of defensive standouts, and I think Manny Machado of the Orioles is one of the best. He won the Gold Glove at third base in 2013 and the AL Platinum Glove award. He is also a player with a short MLB resume but with a big upside. Once thought of as a future shortstop, the position he played before coming to the Orioles, but it appears the hot corner will be his home for now. Some compare him to Alex Rodriquez because of his large stature. He possesses a rifle for an arm and soft hands to snare the screaming balls that are hit his way.

Any talk about defense, and I like to add a centerfielder. They don't necessarily need the most outstanding arm, but they need to be speedy and know how to take a good angle to the ball. One of the best I am seeing is Carlos Gomez of Milwaukee. The highlight reel was enough to convince me that he possesses all the tools to be labeled as one of the top defensive centerfielders.

First basemen usually score the highest fielding percentages among all players. It is a tricky stat because you are sometimes only as good as the quality of throws coming your way. I like to determine with the human eye test. When a guy at first base who can snare the balls hit down the line or in the hole between first and second, I take notice. I grew up watching JT Snow at first for the Giants, and he was incredible at the foul pop fly heading towards the seats. He looked like a football wideout catching a pass over the shoulder. This year, I like Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gabby Sanchez of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs, all rising stars.

Next time when you are at a baseball game, at any level, check out who are the better defensive players. They are the ones with strong arms, but they also show keen instincts to the batted ball. They appear to be in the correct positions to field and catch. Some of this is natural quickness, but sometimes they are thorough students of the game. They look at how batters adjust their swings, watch where the ball is pitched, and mentally focus on it coming off the bat. You can even find this in Little League when some kids are ready, and others blow bubblegum and stare out into space.